The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-09-10
LONDON DRAMATIC TALK.
DEATH OF A VETERAN ENGLISH
PLAYWRIGHT.
Revival of "Our Boys" at the Criterion
New Plays-Critics Now Admit that
Mrs. Potter Has Talent.

From the Boston Herald.
LONDON, Aug A.-How many of the
thousands who have laughed over "a Scrap
of Paper" know that the man who trans
! formed Sardou's essentially French comedy
of intrigue, lies Pattes de Mouche, " into
brilliant English version was named Pal
grave Simpson, The author of this ex-
cellent adaptation, and of various other less
! fortunate plays, has long been conspicu-
GUS figure in the artistic circles Of London
society, and he has just died at the ripe age
of 80 years, peacefully succumbing to an
illness against which he fought heroically;
for, despite his great age, he had no wish to
quit this vale of tears and he would prob
ably have passed away some years ago had
| he not reSolutely determined to live on.
Though four score, Palgrave Simpson did
| not look much more than W, and his
swarthy complexion and dark eyes were
matched to the last by iet-black hair and
moustache; SO that he altogether continued
to realize the happy description once given
of him as an "amiable brigand." London
is great, a thoughtless and forgetful city,
and, moreover, at this season OF the year
many of the lights of the theatrical
and literary world are either making
holiday or are on tour in the prov
inces, and these facts may account for the
! scanty attendance at the grave OF Mr.
Simpson, in the Catholic cemetery of st.
| Thomas. Walham Green, one of the outlying
districts of the modern Babylon. The chief
| mourners included John Clayton, the actor
and manager; and there was small group
of dramatists, notably Pinero aud Robert
Reece. Among the wreaths sent was one
from Mr.. Henry Irving, who is at present
playing in Edinburgh But, considering the
name and wide acquaintance OF PagraVe
Simpson, considering, too his
AVAILABILITY AND UNIFORM KINDNESS
to those entering upon the career of litera-
ture and the drama the attendance at the
funeral seemed but a meagre tribute of re-
spect.
The theatres are beginning to put their
| best autumnal foot forward New plays
| are soon to be the order of the night, and,
moreover, q few of the best old ones are
now before the public, such as Our Boys"
which enjoyed, on its original production at
the Vaudeville Theatre, the phenomenalrun
| of three years! The feature of the original
cast was the quantity humorous and pa
thetic 'buttermann OF Mr.. David James,
whose performance, better, if possible, than
ever, is set off by an entirely new cast at
the Criterion Theatre. Mr.. Charles Wynd-
ham is taking his holiday. He could have
left no more successful substitute as a
starr than Mr.. David James, whose acting
commands not only the laughter but the
tears of the public. Among those who APP
plauded him heartily the other evening was
| Sir Arthur Sullivan. The Talbot Champ
news is now Mr. George Giddens; the
Charles Middewick, Mr.. Sidney Brough, a
promising jeune premier, the son of popu-
lar London comedian, Mr.. Lionel Brough.
New plays are now in preparation at
Drury Lane, the Olympic, the Opera
| M +hn Ju hA
Pointsman," announced at the Olympic, is
from the pen of the authors of 1.-THE Great
Pink Pearl" 1.-The Barrister' is the title of
the comedy production. "a Secret Foe,"
by John A. Stevens, is underlined at the
Opera Comique, and the attractive name of
pleasure" has been given to the autumn
play at Drury Lane.
Mrs James Brown-Potter has reached
that stage in her career when even severe
critics admit that she possesses talent. She
is, of course, advised to 'begin at the bot
tom of the ladder;;n to play small parts-in
the provinces, if possible. In short, the
usual suggestions that have been made to
every woman of position, from Mary Ander-
son to Mrs. Langtry are made to her. The
nothing of the sort; and there is no earthly
reason why she should, and every reason
why she should not. Mrs. Potter has
ALREADY ASSERTED HER ABILITY.
She was charming in parts of Civil
War;" and in the new poetical drama of
Loyal Love" she is even better, and in an
entirely new way Her forte is evidently
| destined to be romantic drama, and she
| would do well to add to her repertoire the
late Miss Nelson's favorite character of
Amy Robsart" in Andrew Halliday's play
of that name. Loyal Love- begins badly,
and the first two acts might advantageously
be compressed into one. The third act con-
tains, however, a powerful, though conven-
| tional, scene in which the heroine defieS the
| villain of the play, who was embodied by
| Mr.. Willard, famous in London as the
Spider" of 1.-THE Silver King" and as
"Jim the Penman." In a Hamlet-like garb
Mr.. Willard is perhaps less effective than in
| modern dress, but he naturally retains his
celebrated baleful eye. Mrs. Potter wears
her picturesque Spanish dress well, and in
the love scene with Mr.. Kyrle Bellew makes
| a series of graceful pictures. In the third
act, however, comes her opportunity, and
those Americans who have seen her only as
an amateur, and who have read adverse &C
counts OF her as professional, would be
agreeably surprised If they could witness
her truthful and artistic treatment
of the scene where the heroine defies the
bold, bad man. There is feeling, power, and
| no little skill in her management of this diff
| ficult episode and no one who has seen her
| in it, can refuse to admit that she possesses
valuable gifts for the stage. Nothing sue
ceeds like success" The very people who
joined in the professional" cutlery against
Mrs Potter at the start, and who pooh
poohed her pretensions, have begun to real
lie, and even to admit, that ''she will make
| an actress"
| Mr. Kyrle Bellew, though he cannot divest
himself of a certain self-conscious air, not
unnatural in an actor who is perpetually
playing heroes, and being adored, and
TOLD HOW BEAUTIFUL HE Is,
appears to great advantage in loyal
Love" He is one of the few actors on the
stage that can wear costume to perfection,
and his movements, too, are extremely
graceful. The power which he throws into
certain defiant speeches comes, moreover,
as an agreeable surprise. The young ladies
who burn incense before the shrine of Bel
lew in New York should certainly adorn it
with a photograph of the divinity in the
superb costumes-one brown, one green
which he wears in Loyal Love-"
That Mrs. Potter will be photographed in
her dresses goes without saying. The most
effective of these is made of silk, of that pc
culiar blue shade that looks as though it
we're clouded with white. The garnture is
of white Spanish lace, and the popularity
of the medieval costume lies in vouminous
sleeves, banded in tight at the wrist, and ar
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